Refrigeration



R. s. NELSON El' A1.

REFRIGERATION Filed July 26, 193'? May 2, 1939.

Patented May 2, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATIO-N corporation of Ohio Application July 26, 1937, serial No. 155,786 7 claims. (o1. (i2-119.5)

'I'his invention relates to absorption refrigerating systems, and more particularly to the absorbers thereof.

Absorption refrigerating systems in which an inert gas is employed as a pressure equalizing medium are well known. While certain features of the present invention are applicable to systems in whichno inert gas is employed, the arrangements illustrated are particularly suitable 10 for use in an inert gas system.

In any absorption refrigerating system the problem of quickly and effectively absorbing the refrigerant in the absorption liquid is a rather difiicult one and this diiculty is increased if the absorber is air cooled. The problem may be largely solved if the refrigerant and absorption liquids are brought into intimate contact in the absorber and the heat of absorption quickly dissipated.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide means for causing refrigerant and absorption liquid in the absorber to come into very intimate contact with each other.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a compact and practical assembly for circulating inert gas through the absorber while keeping all the fluids therein inA a state of agitation so that they are at all times intimately mixed.

It is still a further object of the invention to keep a large surface in the absorber Wet with absorption liquid, particularly near the outside of the absorber so that the heat of absorption may be quickly dissipated.

Still another object resides in the provision of means for hermetically sealing the absorber from the atmosphere while accomplishing any of the above objects.

Other objects reside in certain novel features of the arrangement and construction of Parts as will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an illustration of a continuous absorption refrigerating system with the absorber shown in vertical cross section and with the other parts diagrammatically illustrated.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the absorber shown in Figure 1 the view being taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail and first to the arrangement of Figure l, a conventional continuous absorption refrigerating system is illustrated as consisting of a boiler B, a gas separation chamber S, condenser C, an evaporator E and an absorber A, together with inter-connecting conduits as indicated. Absorption liquid, such as water, may be circulated between the boiler B, the gas separation chamber S and the absorber A by means of conduits I0, II and I2. The conduit I0 serves as a vapor lift pump for raising absorption liquid from the boiler B to the gas separation chamber S. From the chamber S the liquid iiows by gravity through the conduit II, the absorber A and theconduit 10 I2 back to the boiler. The conduits II and I2 may be in heat exchange relationship as indicated.

Refrigerant, such as ammonia, is expelled from the solution inthe boiler B and the gas sepl5 aration chamber S by the application lof heat thereto and flows through the conduit I3 into the condenser C which is preferably air cooled, from which it is drained as a liquid into the evaporator E through the conduit I4.v 20

Inert gas, such as nitrogen or hydrogen, is circulated between the evaporator E and the absorber A by means of the gas conduits I5 and IB which may be in heat exchange relation. This inert gas circuit also provides means for 25 conducting vaporous refrigerant from the evaporator into the absorber where the refrigerant is again absorbed in the absorption liquid and returned to the boiler.

The present invention is concerned primarily 30 with the absorber of this system and accordingly the absorber is shown in detail. The absorber may consist of a cylindrical vessel I'I which is constructed from material capable of withstanding the high pressures commonly encountered in 35 absorption refrigerators. A bottom I8 and a top piece I9 are Welded to the ends of the vessel I'I to form a closed sealed structure. This vessel is shown as being air cooled, heat radiating ns 2| being secured to the outsidethereof. On 40 the inside of the absorber vessel I'l a number of horizontally disposed baffles or plates 22 are provided, these being held in spaced relation .by meansof cylinders 23 preferably having a. high heat conductivity. Each plate 22 has a large 45 I centra-1 opening therein as indicated at 24.

A shaft 25 extends the entire length of the absorber vessel I1 and is mounted for rotation in a rubber bearing 26 in the end plate I8 and in a rubber bearing 21 in a perforated upper plate 50 28. It has been found in practice that rubber bearings are suitable in this construction as they may be lubricated by theA fluids in the system,

Aparticularly if ammonia is used as the refrigerant. Theconduit II, which supplies absorp- 55 tion liquid to the absorber, enters the vessel I1 above the upper plate 28 and maintains the bearing 21 in a moist condition. The vbearing 25-fis kept moist by the solution which collects on the bottom plate I8 before being discharged through the conduit I2. r

An electric motor 29 is rigidly secured to the upy l per end of the vessel I1, as by welding. This electric motor may be of any known construction, but it should preferably be hermetically sealed or have its rotating element hermetically sealedf to the absorber. A known type of electric motor in which the ileld construction is on the outside and the rotor on the insidev of a dividing .partition or casing may be employed for this purpose. f

The motor 29 is connected to and drives a non- -circular shaft 38 which extends the entire length of the absorber vessel I1. A number of gas circulating and liquid splashing elements 3| are non-rotatably mounted upon the shaft 30. These -elements are suitably spacedA apart by spacing collars 32 which non-rotatably receive the shaft 30 and abut those portions of the splashing and gas circulating elements 3l which engage the shaft 30. An end collar 33, which is similar to the collars 32 previously described, `forms the bearing for the shaft 30 in the rubber bearing 26. The upper bearing for the shaft 30 is formed by one of the collars 3 2 which passes through the rubber bearing 21 as illustrated.

Each circulating and splashing element 3l com- It will be noted that the maximum diameter of the plate 35 is less than the outside diameter of the element 3-1 whereby to permit free discharge of gas from the fan blades around the plate member 35.

'I'he spaceabove the plate 28 forms a liquid inlet and gas exit chamber due to the fact that liquid enters the absorber through the pipe I I at this point and the gas exits from the absorber proper at this point. Gasv discharged into the space above the plate 28 passes through a. baille plate 39 which is similar to the baille plates 22 previously described. A centrifugal fan 40, which is mounted upon the shaft 39 similarly to the elements 3l, is positioned in the chamber above the plate 39 and is constructed to discharge gases from thekabsorber vessel through the conduit I6.V

In operation the weak solution formed in the chamber S discharges lthrough the conduit II into the upper portion of the absorber vessel I1 y above'the plate 28. 'I'he liquid discharged onto the plate 28 splashes thereover and discharges through the perforations therein. A part .of the liquid discharged from the plate 28 also lubricates the upper bearing 21.

- tions indicated by the dotted arrows.

The apparatus will be controlled in such fashion that the motor 29 will be energized whenever heat is supplied to the boiler B. Rotation of the motor and shaft will cause the fan elements 37| and the fan 40 to circulate the inert gas through the absorber and evaporator system in the direc- That is, the gases will be discharged from the absorber through the conduit I6, will pass upwardly through the evaporator in ,counterflowto the liquid refrigerant discharged thereinto from the conduit I4. 'I'he liquid refrigerant will evaporate into the inert gas stream and the resulting mixture of inert gas and refrigerant vapor will be returned to the bottom of the absorber through the conduit I5. I The liquid flows downwardly through the absorber by gravity in a path indicated by the solid arrows. Liquid discharged through the perforations in the plate 28 and thev central openings in the baille plates 22 drips onto the rapidly rotating top plates 35 of the gas circulating and liquid splashing elements 3| with the result that substantially horizontal sheet-like sprays of refrigerant liquid are formed. The elements 3| force inert gas upwardly through the sprays. The liquid discharged laterally by the discs 35 -strikes the outer wall of the vessel I1 and flows downwardly against the baille plates 22 which direct it izing medium and at the same time creates finely divided sprays of absorption liquid whereby intimate contact is promoted between the absorption liquid and refrigerant-laden pressure equalizing medium.

In addition to forming sprays through which the refrigerant-laden pressure equalizing medium is forced the absorber vessel provides excellent heat exchange' between the liquid and the surrounding medium whereby the absorber may be air-cooled. This follows from the fact that the absorption liquid is forcibly directed against the inner wall of the vessel I1 and ilows downwardly along the walls in a thin film. Also, the thin film of absorption liquid`on the inner wall of the vessel I1 is forcibly struck by the refrigerantladen pressure equalizing medium discharged from the various circulating and splashing elements 3|.

It Will be understood that the fan 4U and the gas circulating portions of the elements 3I may be omitted with a system in which the inert gas, hydrogen for example, is circulated by the density differential in the gas columns entering and leaving the absorber. With such a system the inert counterilow to the absorption.

If desired the gas circulating portions of the 'elements 3l may be omitted; in this event the fan 40 will produce gas circulation through the apparatus.

While only one embodiment of the invention `has been illustrated herein, it is obvious that various changes may be made in the construction and` arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of e anl 'gas will flow upwardly through the absorber in l the gas and liquldinto intimate contact and 75 for aiding in the transfer of heat to the exterior of said vessel.

2. An absorber adapted for use in an absorption refrigerating system comprising an elongated vessel, means for supplying absorption liquid to the upper end of said vessel, means for removing absorption liquid from the lower end of said vessel, gas conduits connected to said f vessel, balle plates Within said vessel and extending transversely across the same, there being an opening in each baille and rotating means in said vessel adapted to cause gas to ow therethrough and adapted to splash the absorption liquid about the inner surface of said vessel, said rotating means including a solid disc located below the opening in one of said baffle plates for catching liquid dripping through the opening and for throwing it about.

3. In an absorption refrigerating system, in combination, an evaporator, an absorber, conduits connecting the evaporator and absorber to provide a circuit for inert gas therebetween and means for circulating absorption liquid through said absorber, said absorber having a combined gas circulator and splashing means therein for promoting the circulation of the inert gasV over its circuit and for bringing the gas into intimate contact with the absorption liquid, said combined gas circulator and `splashing means including a number of baille plates having openings therein and radially discharging centrifugal fans disposed between certain of said plates, the arrangement being such that the fans cause the gas repeatedly to ow outwardly in contact with the wall of said absorber in addition to the flow over the aforesaid circuit.

4. An absorber adapted for use in an absorption refrigerating system comprising a sealed vessel, power driven means Within the vessel adapted to create sprays of absorption liquid and to propel a medium to be absorbed through said sprays, and bearings supporting said power'driven means, the arrangement being such that said bearings are lubricated by one of the fluids in the absorber, said bearings being made of rubber.

5. An absorber for refrigeration systems comprising a vertically positioned vessel, a plurality of annular baille plates positioned transversely of said vessel, -a power driven shaft extending longitudinally of said vessel, a plurality of combined liquid spraying and double shrouded centrifugal gas circulating fans arranged alternately with said baille plates,the arrangement being such that liquid may flow over the baille plates onto the spraying elements to be projected onto the Wall of said vessel in spray form and to form a thin film of liquid on said wall whereby the exothermic heat of absorption is efficiently dis` sipated to the surrounding medium.

6. An absorber for absorptioln v'refrigeration` systems comprising an upstanding vessel, a plurality of annular baffles positioned transversely of said vessel and a plurality of combined liquid splashing and gas circulating elements arranged alternately with said baflles, each of said last mentioned .elements comprising a disc adapted' to generate a spray of absorption liquid dripping from the superposed baffle and a centrifugal fan beneath said disc adapted to force the medium to be absorbed upwardly through said spray, and power driven means for driving said elements.

7. That improvement in the art of refrigeration which includes the steps of imparting a propelling impulse to a pressure equalizing medium refrigerant vapor mixture in a given direction, placing a film of an absorbent for the refrigerant vapor in the path of the mixture, owing the mixture along the film of the absorbent and in counteriiow relationship therewith, forcing the mixture through a sheet-like spray of the absorbent, and flowing the mixture across the spray lof the absorbent and in counterow relationship therewith.

RUDOLPH S. NELSON. CURTIS C. COONS. 

